TurfPublicists: BELMONT STAKES DAY ATTENDANCE AND HANDLE SMASHES NON-TRIPLE CROWN NUMBERS, ECLIPSES SOME TRIPLE CROWN DAYS

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Contact: Dan Silver

BELMONT CROWD OF 85,811 BREAKS NON-TRIPLE CROWN DAY RECORD;

SIXTH LARGEST EVER AT BELMONT PARK

ON TRACK HANDLE IS SECOND LARGEST FOR BELMONT STAKES DAY AND THIRD LARGEST EVER AT BELMONT PARK

ALL-SOURCES HANDLE IS THIRD HIGHEST EVER FOR BELMONT STAKES DAY

All-Graded-Stakes Pick 4 Pool Breaks Belmont Stakes Day Record

ELMONT, N.Y. – A crowd of 85,811 wagered $13,777,920 on Belmont Stakes Day races today, the second largest Belmont Stakes Day on-track handle ever, trailing only the $14,461,402 wagered in 2004 when Birdstone broke the Triple Crown bid of Smarty Jones.

The on-track handle was also the third largest ever at Belmont Park, behind only the $14,742,521 wagered on Breeders’ Cup Day 2005 and the 2004 Belmont Stakes Day handle. It easily eclipsed the previous non-Triple Crown Day record of $10,581,093 set in 2001 by 30.2 percent and was up 36.4 percent over $10,098,573 in 2011.

The attendance of 85,811, the sixth largest ever at Belmont Park, smashed the previous non-Triple Crown Day record of 73,857 set in 2001 by 16.2 percent and was up 53.8 percent from 55,779 on Belmont Stakes Day last year.

All-sources handle, which includes all wagering on NYRA Belmont Stakes Day races nationwide, was $96,485,985, the third highest ever for Belmont Stakes Day. It broke the previous non-Triple Crown Day record of $89,705,885 set in 2009 by 7.6 percent and was up 18.8 percent over last year’s total of $81,245,326.

$1,191,088 of the on-track handle was wagered by patrons at the Aqueduct Racetrack simulcast facility, up 66.9 percent from $713,732 in 2011.

Today’s record Belmont Stakes Day All-Graded-Stakes Pick 4 pool of $2,856,185 was up 21.4 percent from last year’s record-breaking Late Pick 4 pool of $2,352,456.

The Pick 6 pool was $1,682,176, a 12.5 percent decrease over last year’s record-breaking Belmont Stakes Day Pick 6 pool of $1,921,917, which included a carryover of $144,003.

Betting interests for the 13-race Belmont Stakes Day card totaled 126, compared to 125 for 13 races in 2011.

“What a great day of racing with five tremendous graded stakes, including the ultimate test of the champion,” said Ellen McClain, President and COO of The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA). “Congratulations to Phyllis Wyeth, Michael Matz, and John Velasquez on a thrilling victory by Union Rags.”

“This has been another outstanding day of thoroughbred racing for New York and NYRA thanks all of the connections who raced at Belmont today and our countless fans who visited Belmont Park and watched coverage on NBC and at simulcast facilities across the country.”

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